History of Sandareds IF

According to interviews made in the creation of Sandareds If’s anniversary book, created in honour of our first 60 years as a club (1925-1985), It was stated that football was played around 1916 in Sandared. At first it was played on an old bog and at farm fields northeast of Sandared. Around 1917-1918, it was decided to construct a football field were the railroad broke grabble for the making of tracks between Borås and Gothenburg.

During the first 6 years, there was a telephone post standing in the middle of the field. However it could be moved after a lot of reminders to the government phone company. Since the field lay next to Viaredssjön (The lake of Viared), all dressing and washing was made outdoors near the lake. Around 1925 the first dressing room was rented at the nearby Café Solvik, later renamed to Café Valand.

This field were the factotum of sport in Sandared at that time. All sort of sports were conducted there, javelin, long jump, shot put, discus throwing, high jump, etc. In 1933 the Railroad Company agreed to make the field longer. Otherwise participation in the district league would not be allowed. The field continued to be the centre of sports up until 1955, when the new home ground were complete, the name of the home ground were, and still is SANDEVI.

A lot has happened since then. We have reconstructed the grounds in 1984, we have broken a Guinness World Record, played in the 2:nd division for 5 years in a row, we have run a camp site on the home ground during summers etc. etc.

Today we can write a new chapter in the history books of Sandareds IF. Our Boys team 14 year has been visiting Cookley FC for a week this august of 2011. A fantastic experience that created lifelong memories with all the participants of the journey. We sincerely hope that this will create a long time partnership, a Twin Town, which makes it possible for Sandareds IF and Cookley FC, to both socialize and play football across the borders.

In the menu there is a photo album, the Swedish word is BILDER. Klick on this link and a folder named “Cookley FC 2011” appears. In here we will publish photos from the wonderful stay in august 2011.